Tochi's Hut

Monaco introduced me to Formula 1.  Since then, I have been diligently getting up every other weekend to catch the Grand Prix.  My TV would be tuned into either TSN or Speed TV, while my computer would be connected to the official Live Timings.  And what a thrilling season this has been!

I always wondered what about a sport that makes people interested.  For example, what is it that kick started my passion for hockey all those years back?   I guess I can be considered a mini Formula 1 fan now. :)

Monaco Grand Prix – Learned of a “Lewis Hamilton”. 

Canadian Grand Prix – Saw Lewis Hamilton run into the back of Kimi Raikonnen when exiting the pit lane.  What a noob mistake!  I like this guy. lol.

French Grand Prix – Missed this race, but saw the highlights afterwards.  Hamilton got docked with a 10 place and later a drive through.  Miserable outing.

British Grand Prix – Silverstone.  A lot of build up to see how local hero Lewis Hamilton would respond.  He totally dominated the wet race.  I think this race was a turning point in my transformation.  With all the hype on Hamilton, I was rooting for him to win too.

German Grand Prix – Hockenheim.  I got up for the race, only to find that TSN was showing the British Open instead. WTF.  Saw the latter half of the race again while at a pub, and Hamilton showcased his death touch on the brakes with two breathtaking passes on the hairpin.  Hamilton was my man!

Hungarian Grand Prix – Hungaroring.  McLaren 1-2 on the grid.  Massa passes Hamilton on turn 1.  Hamilton tyre puncture, drops down to 12th!!! Massa seems to be cruising to victory when his engine blows with 3 laps to go!  “The home straight, with 3 laps to go, is never a good place to park!” My favourite quote all season. 

I’ve started to research more and more into Formula 1.  Found out that I can put up a good conversation with other Formula 1 addicts at work. :)

European Grand Prix – Valencia.  New course, breathtaking marina and bridge.  Quite a boring race.  Massa/ Hamilton / Kubica finished as they started.

Belgium Grand Prix – SPA!  One of the most impressive races of the entire season.  My recap (Note: Lewis = Hamilton = Lewis Hamilton)

Hamilton started in pole, and got off to a good start.  However right at the end of the first lap, Lewis spins on La Source, Kimi Raikonnen of Ferrari (past 3 times winner), passes Hamilton to take the lead.   For the next 41 laps, it was Kimi, Hamilton, Massa.   Kimi had built up a 6 s lead at one point, but once Hamilton came out from his 2nd pit w/ hard tyres, he started chasing.   However, the rain (as predicted) finally came with TWO laps to go.  Most cars had their their hard dry tyres on, so they started slipping and sliding. 
So, Lewis caught up to Kimi and was right being Kimi's gearbox with 2 laps to go.  Lewis tries to go outside to pass Kimi, but was forced to cut off the track across the corner to avoid a collision.  By cutting the corner, he came out in front of Kimi.  He let Kimi go back in front of him (as required).  However, that didn't matter as Hamilton got around Kimi again to take the lead soon afterwards.    Then all of a sudden, Lewis goes wide on one of the corners.  Kimi goes ahead.  Then Kimi spins... Lewis jumps in front again.  Cars were sliding everywhere.  Then all of a sudden, Kimi spins out and crashes into the wall.  It was CRAZY to watch.. my fist were pumping. :D
Some cars pitted to switch tyres.  Lewis and Massa stayed out.  It was one of the slowest and least glorious final lap of a Grand Prix.   But man, Lewis just take it easy. lol.  Those last 3 laps had me on the edge of my seat. :DDD
Lewis takes the chequered.  Ferrari is protesting that turn where Lewis cut the track corner.  The race stewards are investigating.

A few hours after I had sent that out, I saw the news:

OMG.

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium - Ferrari's Felipe Massa has been declared the winner of the Belgian Grand Prix after McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton was given a 25-second penalty for an illegal manoeuvre.

Hamilton had finished first Sunday after dramatically overtaking Ferrari's Kimi Raikonnen, but race stewards said he had cut across a chicane to gain an advantage before passing the defending world champion.

There was endless controversy regarding what has become known as the Bus-stop Gate.

Italian Grand Prix – Monza.   Vettel of Torro Rosso won.  Learned that there is no formation lap when race starts under safety car.  Hamilton screwed up qualifying, so started at position 15 on grid.  Hamilton did some massive overtaking and finished 7th.  He almost had a chance of finishing on the podium had it rained. 

This race taught me some of the intricate strategy that is involved in Formula 1.  They had mathematicians calculating everything to the narrowest of margins to maximum the probability of winning.  Dang.

Singapore Grand Prix – First night race ever!!!  City circuit through downtown Singapore.  Quite a super duper facility, and a lot of hype on how the race would turn out.  Highlight was Massa taking the fuelling hose with him when leaving the pits!!!!

Japan Grand Prix – Fuji.  Watched this race with BlueOrca and Kungfucius on a horrible internet stream.  Massa cheated and took Hamilton out on a chicane.  Race to forget.

Chinese Grand Prix – Shanghai.  Race at 3am in the morning!!!  BlueOrca got up to watch the race too, despite being a bit under the weather.  Quite a dedication!  Hamilton owned the race from start to finish.  Best overtake was Massa on Raikonnen. XD

Brazilian Grand Prix - Hamilton brings a 7 point lead over Massa (hometown favourite) into the race.

Hamilton will be champion if:
- He finishes fifth or higher
- He finishes sixth and Massa is second or lower
- He finishes seventh and Massa is second or lower
- He finishes eighth and Massa is third or lower
- He fails to score and Massa is third or lower

Hamilton started 4th on the grid and Massa first.  Massa jumped off to a good start and never really looked back.  Race started with a 10 minute delay due to a heavy downpour right when the race was suppose to start.  Hamilton had to overtake Fisichella at one point to regain 5th, and fight off some pressure from Glock and Vettel. 

With about 7 laps to go, Hamilton was carefully nursing a 4th place with Vettel right behind him.  Remember, Hamilton only needed fifth or better to win.  Rain was reported to be coming imminently.

Hamilton and Vettel both pitted with 5 laps to go to switch to intermediate tyres.  When they came back out, they slotted behind Timo Glock, who didn’t switch tyres and had jumped up to 5th.  Hamilton now either had to keep Vettel behind him or pass Glock.

With 3 laps to go, Glock was still posting awesome times with his dry tyres.  The unthinkable happens.  Hamilton runs wide on a turn, and Vettel passes him.  Hamilton was in 6th – a position that will cost him the championship!!

The McLaren just did not have the pace today.  Hamilton could not get a good slipstream on Vettel.  Every time he got close to the Torro Rosso’s gearbox, Vettel will just speed away.  It felt like the last 30 seconds of the Stanley Cup finals, the opposition just scored and you are down by a goal.  Despite all the desperation and do-or-die mentality, you just cannot seem to get out of your own end!!  The agony!

Massa had already cross the finish line to take the chequered flag.  Glock had posted a decent time in the first sector of the final lap.  The camera returned to Hamilton chasing Vettel for that 5th position in the last few corners of the Grand Prix.  That stupid blinking light of Vettel's seemed so close and yet horribly far. I was all but resigned to seeing the championship slip away.  This was not how it was suppose to be.  There is no worse way to lose a championship than this.  As Vettel and Hamilton came around the final corner, what do they find?  None other than a white Toyota struggling to stay on the track in his dry tyres! Is that Glock?!?  It is!!! It is Glock!!!!  It took a few seconds for my mind to register what just happened.  Lewis passed Glock. Lewis was back in 5th!!!!  OMG!!!  

Glock had lost all the 18 seconds lead he gained by not stopping for intermediates.  He was doing all his might to stay on the track, while Hamilton shot pass him to reclaim the fifth place he so desperately needed to take the championship.  The Ferrari boys were celebrating, the McLaren boys were too.  But Ferrari was wrong and they soon realized that.

McLaren F1 Car £Millions | Yellow Race Helmet - £1,000 | Seeing Ferrari Pit Crew Celebrate A Title They Didn't Win - Priceless.

Wow.  This race had it all.  Rain in the first few minutes, rain in the last few minutes.  The greatest of anticipations for most of the race.  The horror when everything seemed to be falling apart.  The despair at watching the entire race and championship slip away. The shock at the miracle that just transpired. The jubilation of a LEWIS HAMILTON VICTA!!!! My heart has not pumped that fast in ages - the race was INTENSE. 

I do not think I will ever watch an event as heart-stopping as this.  The roller coaster of emotions was an experience of a lifetime.  I am so fortunate to have been able to watch this event unfold live.  Imagine, if I had not been at Monaco for the Grand Prix this past May, I would have been totally ignorant of this awesome awesome sporting spectacle.  Actually, I cannot imagine that.

Hamilton wins the World Driver’s Championship by a single point.  What an amazing finish to my premier Formula 1 season experience.  I have learned so much about the sport, about the host cities and countries, about the people and cultures.